Habiba Sarabi, Afghanistan's former women's minister, has outlined the challenge facing her as she prepares to take charge in Bamiyan province - that would make her the country's first female provincial governor.

Ms Sarabi is set to be appointed governor by President Hamid Karzai after being selected from an all-women shortlist.

She told the BBC World Service's Outlook programme there were a wide-ranging number of problems facing the province - most famous for the giant statues of Buddha that were destroyed by the hardline Taleban regime in 2001.

"Poverty is a major issue. I have to work on the reconstruction, to find some jobs for people," Ms Sarabi said.

"And actually I want to change the face of Bamiyan a little bit, with the help of God and the international community. I want to work on the master plan of Bamiyan city - its historical heritage and as a tourist attraction.

"These are the big challenges."

New role

During the Taleban regime, Ms Sarabi fled from the Afghan capital, Kabul, to Pakistan, where she lived in the city of Peshawar - although she often returned undercover.

Following the US military action in 2001 that removed the Taleban, she was selected for Mr Karzai's cabinet.

She instantly became a high-profile figure. Under the Taleban women had been prevented from achieving high office.

There are natural difficulties because [Bamiyan] is a very mountainous place, with a lot of snow for a long time

Habiba Sarabi

Her new role will see her tackling the warlords in Bamiyan.

She also said she hoped to see the province's damaged cultural heritage redeveloped.

"We can attract a lot of tourism and it can be a big income for Bamiyan city," she said.

"The historical heritage should be safe and secure for each Bamiyani. For me, it will be a responsibility."

A recent UN report warned of the "critical" situation in Afghanistan, with high poverty, low security and an education system condemned as the worst in the world.

Ms Sarabi admitted there were "very difficult" challenges in Bamiyan.

"There are natural difficulties because it's a very mountainous place, with a lot of snow for a long time," she said.

"The other problem is the lack of education, especially among women."

Future optimism

She stressed she had visited the province several times, and had received a very positive reaction following the announcement of her new position.

Afghanistan's education system is the worst in the world, the UN says

"I have received plenty of calls from people in Bamiyan and representatives of the council, the traditional leadership," she said.

"They supported me and they were very happy - this is the reaction I have received."

And she added she was also optimistic about the future of Afghanistan.

"You can see that during the three years [since the Taleban] a lot of things have changed," she said.

"Of course we have a lot of difficulties - it doesn't mean we should forget these - but we have to solve these problems.

"Everything will go in a good direction in the future."

The Ashura in Quetta

by K-rezai (anefo)

One of the most important phenomenon that we came up, after investigating the situation of Quetta city, and answering the most important question such as who were those people who committed these horrible terrorist acts in Quetta city and its suburbs?

After investigating, talking to witnesses and conversing with people of the region, we arrived to a conclusion that answers to our most important question that who were these radical terrorist and why they committed these horrible tragedy to our people by killing these innocent people in the day of Ashura. Most importantly, what is their main intend, plan, goal by committing these terrorist activity such as killing innocent civilian people? That brings us to our next question, what was the reason behind these three incidents in Quetta? Looking at the damages of these incidents on the Hazara nation, we came up with two main points: To undermine Pakistan’s government in one hand and to annihilate, weaken, and disintegrate Hazara people in another. By creating an enmity between Shi’it and Sunnate, these terrorist can accomplish both of the aforementioned objectives; however, that can not be done, because both sect has been living together like brothers for hundred years.

Let me start with, why these terrorist groups want to destabilize the government of Pakistan? By destabilizing the government of Musharaf, these radical terrorist groups, which consist of Lashkar Jangawi, Sepahi Sahaba, Melat Islamia, can humiliate, disunite the governor of each state by killing and annihilating the people who are pro-peace, stability, and harmony, or more precisely block Hazara people’s determination and advancement in the governmental jobs and positions. Since the government of Pakistan helped the immigrant of Afghanistan in Pakistan, the people from Afghanistan, especially some Hazaras who resides in Pakistan speak very fondly of Pakistan’s government, because how its regime has been treating the immigrants. Even though the government wants to have a total control over its terrain, however it can not control its intelligence department; the ISI does things the way it feels. In other words, Musharaf can not sway its Inter-Service Intelligence in the direction that he wishes or his superior such as United States desires. Also, these radicals who are getting all of their support from Taliban and Al-Quada, abhor Hazaras for the following reasons: First, Hazara people were against Taliban and fought against its preeminence. Second, Hazaras supported Coalition Forces to remove Taliban from Afghanistan. These radicals will do anything to kill Hazaras, not to mention that these radicals have been brainwashed that by killing innocent Hazaras, heaven will be rewarded to them. Since the mullahs play a major role in these uneducated radicals, an edict from a mullah can serve a word from God himself. As an old idiom said, “Half mullah is danger to religion, and half doctor is danger to ones life.” These radicals have the motivation to accomplish their aim by killing as many Hazaras as these radicals can, thus they would want to make sure that heaven will be guaranteed for them in the after life. Another technique that has proven its success in the past by their forefather is too create an internal war between all ethnic groups in Pakistan, in order to divide Pakistan into Pakhtoon, Panjab, and Balochistan. It has been centuries that Pakhtoon wanted to have its own state in the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Some believes that the main reason that Pakistan created Taliban is to give most of the land which belongs to Afghanistan to Pakhtoon, thus Pakhtoon could have its Pakhtoonwali and to expand Wazirstan to become an official state.

In order to shun disunity, everybody is supporting its own ethnic group who is planning to establish its own state in the region. Today we see that some Pashtuns are supporting Taliban, and somewhat these set of people are pro-Taliban and Al-Quada. Even today, there is a lot of Pashtun who are supporting Taliban in the Southern Provinces and even in Kabul, where the people are liberated. After so many years of liberation, there are still feelings for the Taliban that can be seen in Kabul and in the Southern provinces of Afghanistan. Even today an Afghan-American can not walk freely in Kabul. If an Afghan-American goes to Southern part of Afghanistan, I can assure you that he/she will be shot, because these people do not see Americans in a good eye. As you can see that the majority of the Pakistans’s ISI consist of Pashtoon ethnic. An old idiom which said, “Hit two targets with one arrow.” In order to utilize its effectiveness, they would hit Hazara people, because their other main intend is to annihilate, disunite, and to block the progress and advancement of the Hazara Nation around the world especially in Quetta, because of its proximity and its vulnerability.

The people, who attacked the Imambargahi Kalan Mosque on July, they belonged to the same terrorist group (Lashkar Jangawi, Sepahi Sahaba, and Melat Islamia) who are getting most of their support from Taliban and Al-Quada. This conspiracy has been known to police and the Intelligence agencies that they were aware of the forthcoming of that incident; however, they did not do anything to dismantle the plan and to evade the killing of innocent people. They are the same terrorist network who carried out suicide attack on President of Pakistan, General Parvez Musharaf. These are the same people who are damaging the image of Islam and Pakistan continuously; because of these reasons the western media says that Pakistan is the center for terrorism. It could be, that is a one way to humiliate a country is to base its terrorist activity in that country, and to make it known as a terrorist country. Whereas Al-Quada used Afghanistan as its training, recruiting, gathering its members, and planning its terrorist activity. The government, in spite of all its attempt, somehow, is not able to control the situation. In fact, attacking the mourners in the day of Ashura; the terrorist wanted the government to know that no matter what, the government is not capable of stopping their operation. The intelligence community was aware of the planning, but they did not dismantle the occurrence of the attack. Some sources say that ISI had a hand in most of these horrific incidences, thus they did not want to do anything about it. Some other people are confirming that intelligence community had a hand in this, where most of its members are pro-Taliban. Furthermore, these people can not touch United States, thus they attack its allies, in this case the Hazara people. If Quetta Police and the intelligence agencies were awake and strong enough such incidents would never been happening there. As we all know that it is very easy in Pakistan to buy a murderer in order to manage a huge destruction in a community. After July incident, the City Police and intelligence agencies should have been more active and energetic. If the system was setup correctly and arranged like the Cind I.G. police, the day of Ashura with the guide of Governor and Chief Minister, no such incident would have been happened there. In other state such systems is active and we have not seen a massacre such as we have seen in Quetta.

First these terrorists find the weakness, and they are looking places where civilians are most vulnerable, and then they plan their attack with strategy that haven’t been seen and experienced before, thus no one in that region would be expecting the evil act. We can feel that the terrorists are using the weakest point of the Government, for that reason they selected the most important day for their terrorist activities which they succeeded in their plan by damaging the image of Islam all over the world once more. An interview by CNN clearly showed a comparison between Karbala and Baghdad incidents to Quetta incidents. The interviewee confirmed that Karbala, Baghdad, and Quetta were attacked by Taliban and Alqayeda, because they were involved with the same kind of activities in the past. It is quiet clear even to a simple person that Wazeeristan which is close to Quetta city is has been a center for Alqaeda and Taliban, besides recent terrorist activity in Iraq. Moreover, the Quetta people are aware of this and they have been informing police and government authorities again and again; however, the authorities have not taken any action against these barbaric people. Thus, they are very successful in their plan and objectives.

The feelings of Hazara people that they like to make it clear once again that the terrorist will never be successful in their plan of placing a line between Shi’ite and Sunnate Muslims in Pakistan and Afghanistan; in order, to make them enmity of each other, or more precisely support or push one against the other. They have been living side by side as a brother for centuries. Moreover they have been celebrating the Ashura very honorably, and they respect each other believes. Thus, these terrorists never succeeded in their plans in the past, and why would they succeed at this time and in the future.

While the terrorist attacked Karbala in the day of Ashura, CNN showed that there is no problem between Shia and Sunnis, and the Iraqis agreed that the terrorists have no religion. “These are the rented murderers and they would commit every types of crime for the money,” an Iraqi person said. Some says that regarding the Ashura incident in Quetta, “the Government also committed a very big crime for covering their weak points and unawareness; they played a very wrong policy for the infamy of its agent, ISI.”

In order to find out what happened on that day, lets imagine the whole situation such as what occurred on that day. First of all, Muharam-ul-Haram by the name of united Sunnate Council stroke against the Hazara people by the permission of Government authorities, where almost 300 people were participating on that strike, and they were carrying different banners from different groups like (Lashkar Jangawi, Sepahi Sahaba, Melat Islamia). These strikers were passing from different roads by the support of police and local authorities, and also they were shouting slogans against the Shia and Hazara people. The strike was ended at the Goal Mandi Chawk.

At the day of Ashura, while the mourners’ first group was arriving at Liaqat Bazaar and Bano Market, suddenly the machine guns were fired and hand grenades were tossed toward the mourners. They were attacked from three sides: from Bano Market where the terrorists wear BRP uniform, from Fire Brigade Plaza where the special branch police were attacking the innocent people, and from the (Liagat Bazaar) the F.I.A. police were firing along with other terrorists. From the latter side, the terrorist succeeded to escape with the help of F.I.A. From the Bano Market, two of the terrorists with the BRP uniform were killed and one of them was arrested. The planned terrorist attack started at 1:00 p.m. and continued till 1:30 p.m., which left 40 people martyred with 200 serious injuries.

In order to perform the mourning on Mizan Chawk and Junction Chawk, the mourners crossed the Prince Road and Safir Masjid Chawk at 3:00 p.m.

About 3:00 p.m. a group of religious extremist around 300 people started their strike from the Gowl Mandi Chawk. Among these people, 50 of them were armed by Kalashinkoves and were firing in the air, and about 50 of them had sticks which were decorated by the flag of “Sepahi Sahaba Organization.” More than 50 of them had more than one gallons of patrol on their hands, the other 50 of them had pliers and wrenches, and some of them were armed with different light weapon.

Upon their arrival, these terrorists burned the “Alam of Baitul Abbas” on Mekangi Road, then “Kashana Jaffaria” on Arif Road. Next, they crossing the Kaiqubad Road and Gurdat Sing Road at 3:30 p.m., and then they entered the Prince Road where they started to burn the shops belonging to Shia and Sunnis without any government agents blocking them. These kinds of terrorist activity from “Sepahi Organization” were a continual commotion that went on till 4:00 p.m. when the Army arrived.

According to the Chief Minister of Balochistan whose expression was that the government helped the terrorists’ enormously by killing innocent Hazara people. The propaganda such as the Shia mourners burned the shops on Prince Road, is absolutely wrong because of the following reasons:

First, the mourners were crossed the Prince Road at 3:00 p.m. Second, the Shia (Hazara People) showed their Patience at 8th June and 4th of July, while the 4th of July incident happened on Prince Road, but it remained completely safe till that time. Third, the incident of Ashura happened on the Liaqat Bazaar. Fourth, if the Shia’s were destroying the Prince Road they would not burn the Shia’s shops in that area. Thus, more 50 shops belonged to Shia’s were burned and destroyed. Fifth, if you are still convinced that Shia’s did these destructions, then who burned the Baitul Abbas on Mekangi Road and Kashana-e-Jaffaria on Arif Road?

In fact, the terrorist, who attacked mourners on Ashura, were the same terrorist who burned the Prince Road which is the work of a special group, who has many targets as follows:

1. To create a bias between the three Nations of Quetta (Hazara, Pashtoon, and Baloch) to persuade or push them to fight against each other, because of these reasons they used the Balochs as terrorist at the incident of Imam Bargahi Kalan, and used Pathans at the incident of Ashura. Since, these terrorist can not fight all three ethnic group, so they use the old tactic to put an enmity among three ethnic groups.2. This is a continuous terrorist attacks in Pakistan where up to 3000 Shias martyred and up to 10,000 injured.3. To block the Hazaras from advancement and damage their images, because the Hazaras are the most developed Nation in Quetta city.4. These incidents are deeply related into Afghanistan’s situations, because after any incident in Quetta, the terrorist increases their interest and activities in Afghanistan. President of Pakistan, Gen.Musharraf, stated that the terrorism in Afghanistan is getting support from different organization in Pakistan and its government. In spite of that an active participation of Hazara’s in the Karzai Government is not acceptable for these terrorists, so that they show their reaction in Quetta.5. The most important of all is to make conspiracy against (Syed-u-Shuhada’s) mourners and create instability in that region. This kind of gathering by mourners is not something new; it has been assembled for more then 500 years. However, no such incidents have been happening before. This kind of gathering happens every year by mourner is around the world in country such as USA, European countries, Saudi Arabia and India etc. A local newspaper in Quetta stated, “We would like to make it clear that the mourning of (Syed-u-Shuhada) is our vital vein, we can accept the death but we cannot ignore the mourning of Syed-u-Shuhada. This is the part of our religion, to stop the mourning means to stop our religion.” If we get discriminated on our unique way to practice our religion, it is against the law of Pakistan, and more precisely it is against the human rights. Stopping the mourning will be an international issue, not only from Pakistan but from all over the world the mourners will arrive in Quetta city. A local person expressed that the government and government authorities, the intelligence agencies, and those who are talking against the religious activities have to know that even one Shia get to survive all kind of terrorist activity, the mourning will be continued.

In Quetta city, the day of Ashura near to the Mizan Chawk from ground floor of a building the firing started on the mourners which remains 41 people martyred and left over hundred people injured. It is the second largest terrorist attacks in Quetta city, before in month of July, they attacked on the Imambargahi Kalan killed more than 50 and injured more than 100 people. In spite of this in Quetta city and its suburbs the terrorist activity is continuing. Killing the innocent people everyday they are destroying the images of the Government also, they also attacked on the Chief Minister’s house, also kidnapped a mini bus with 12 passengers.

They burned the remaining shops on that day, through this preplanned attack, they wanted to shows their aggression and hostility toward the innocent people by committing more crimes. Secondly, they thought it would be a very good opportunity to the government authorities to fulfill their plans. The setting up, scheduling, organizing this intended plan, that has been made before and after this incident, was disclosed by the intelligence agencies.

A statement in Quetta’s local newspaper said, “We, the people of Hazara in Quetta, appealed to the government to not disgrace themselves any more by doing this kind of stupid, fool, and absurd activities, and these types of exertion will not remain covered from the people.” While the senator Sana Bloch was disclosing these conspiracies on Geo T.V. Capital talk, suddenly it was stopped by government representative Faisal Saleh Hyat.

Finally, the terrorist attack, which has been done in the day of Ashura at Quetta city, must be a warning to Balochistan authorities. According to local newspaper, “We, the Hazara society, repeatedly asked, suggested, and expressed our opinion by grasping the situation of the people in latest incident that the Federal Government should exchange the senior police officers to local police officers, because they know more about the cultures, ethics, norms, religion of Balochistan’s people.” The arrested terrorist, in this case the injured police who had a hand in shedding the blood of the innocent people, should not be called police. They have to be brought to the court for investigation in order to disclose, the real face of terrorists, thus over all the Police Department should not lose its image, in spite of government who brought changes into provincial level authorities. The changes have to be done immediately in order to prevent more destruction in Pakistan. The enemies of Pakistanis is trying to destabilize the Muslims in Pakistan, these type negative minded people is not less in Pakistan and did not play any rule in the building of Pakistan.

Contribution: I would like to thank Rajab Ali, Hazara Press's representive in Quetta, who contributed to this report.

Condemnation Against the Terrorist

Hazara Press fully speaks as one voice with the Hazara nation condemning these dastardly acts of terrorism that has been flourishing in Quetta. After having a fresh memory of two massacres last year, these terrorists have done their act of evil and wicked again by opening fire in a crowded area, and killing about 50 of our innocent people. Last year in July, more than 57 worshipers got brutally murdered by these cowardice terrorists, and now more than 44 innocent people got killed by these vicious murderers. These evil terroristic activities, such as murdering our people by dozens in the crowded street during the Ashoura or in a crowded mosque, have to be stopped. The authorities in Pakistan have to take some serious action against these cruel and vicious terrorists.

We share the grief and sorrow of our nation. Our heart goes out to the friends and families of those who are victims of this wicked act and horrible tragedy.

These are the most despicable, insane, inhuman terrorist attacks that keep hitting our Hazara nation in Quetta, Pakistan, ever since last year. These are cowardice acts which caused the most wrenching pain and anguish for the victims, families and Hazara people around the world.

Hazara Press wants to extend its deepest-felt condolences to the families and friends of those who were murdered by these coward terrorists.

-Hazara Press

Letter from HSF to Hazara Press

Dear Sir/Madam:

The lives and propertys of Hazara peoples are at high risk, it's not because their ethnicity, but because their believes. They are mostly Shi’a Muslims surrounded by Sunni Muslims in Afghanistan and Quetta, Pakistan.

The difference religions shows their vulnerability in Quetta, Pakistan and in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan. With the arrival of Taliban in Mazar-e-Sharif in 1998 thousands of Hazaras were tortured, raped, and murdered by Taliban, who is a Sunni sect of Islam. The addition to that, during the year 2000, seven Hazara men were severely assassinated while they were travelling from Hazara town to Marri-abad on a Suzuki Van, in Quetta. Furthermore, few days ago, dozens of Shops and businesscenters of Hazara peoples were looted and set on fire in the presence of cement agencies, where the people who worked for the cement agency have witnessed. Above all, the most criminal act of sectarian violence took place on June 8th of 2003, eleven constables of district police, Quetta, were killed and nine other were injured. These Police constables were going back to Police training school after visiting their families in the weekend.

We are sure and there are evidences that shows that these terrorist group belongs to taliban and al-Qaeda. Furthermore, we also know that there are evidences of the involvement of many staff member from various government agencies who have ideological commitment with Taliban and al-Qaeda. We and every individual Hazaras, either a government servant or a local labourer do not feel save and protected while we are going through our every-day-life and activity such as working in the city.

Through this letter we would like to communicate to all people around the world and present our case to seek help and support to stop such inhuman and criminal acts. We would also like to convey our agitation against such criminal and savage act. Finally, we hope that human being across the world and democratic governments around the globe will pressurize the Government of Pakistan and its agencies to provide protection to our communities by all means and ways.

Sincerely,

Hazara Student Federation

Quetta, Pakistan

Condemnation from Hizb-e Wahdat

Once again, the cruel and ugly face of terrorism and fanaticism has revealed by the latest cold-blooded massacre of the innocent Hazaras in Quetta, Pakistan on 8th of June 2003.

The international community once again witnessed the massacre of innocent Hazaras by the same terrorist circuits who are involved in the killings of thousands of innocent human beings from the United States up to Indonesia, especially thousands of innocent Hazaras in Afghanistan. These are the same barbaric people who sometime get together under the various names and flags like al Qaeda, Taliban, Sipah-e Sahaba, Lashkar-e Janghvi etc.

Unfortunately, all these terrorist groups have been flourishing in Pakistan with the help of some official authorities.

Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan shares the pains and sorrows of all those families and relatives who lost their loved ones. We strongly demand the United Nations and all the human rights organizations to take the serious notice of this heart-rending and tragic event and pressurize Pakistan to provide effective security to all religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan especially the Hazaras. We also strongly recommend the anti-terrorist coalition forces to take the serious notice of this tragic event and have a serious look into Pakistan where the terrorists from Afghanistan have shifted their bases and started the same brutal and inhuman killings of Hazaras as they did in Afghanistan. It is a matter of shame for the international community who still could not stop the ethnic cleansing of Hazaras in the region.

Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq

Chairman, Political Committee

Hizb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan

Proud Mother Proud Daughter

Mrs Masooma Hussain

Miss Nazia Hussain

Mrs Masooma Hussain (Hazara), wife of Syed Hussain Shah, of Quetta Public High School -

She is Incharge of QPHS School, a nice mother, and a good supporter of family with 5 children and a great thinker ever busy in development of educational methods. She wrote five to six books for children according to their mental level and was easy to understand. The books based on children were highly appreciated by the government of Pakistan, therefore, she was awarded Second prize by National Book Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan with cash prize of Rs.15000 /-. (12 July 2003). She is really a good model for Hazra Women Educational developers.

Miss Nazia Hussain, daugther of Syed Hussain Shah (Hazara) - A student of Quetta Public High School of class 7th, following the foot steps of her proud mother, Miss Masooma Hussain, got several prizes on different occasions while taking part in studies and extra curricular activities. She competed with the students on All Pakistan level in drama at Islamabad in year 1998. Now on in the year 2003 she was awarded with a Gold Medal named as "Mohammadan Gold Medal" by Mrs Saqiba Rahim-ud-Din on behalf of Pakistan Children Academy being a best student of the year in all Balochistan. (April 2003)